This deck, by artist Emil Kazanlar was produced as an
'Ecumenical Tarot". The deck has a Middle Eastern look,
though Kazanlar borrowed from several sources. The High
Priestess, for example, looks suspiciously like the High
Priestess of the Wirth deck. The cards are 2 3/4" X 4
1/4". Each card has a gold Metallic border with the card's
name at the bottom in four languages. I recognize English, French
and German, but do not recognize the fourth language. The art is
good with a lot of detail. The colors are rich and vibrant. There
is also a lot of symbolism in the drawings, both Eastern and
Western. The major Arcana are a strange mix of old and new.
Kazanlar obviously used his own vision to produce the scenes on
the Majors. As mentioned previously, the High Priestess looks
like Wirth's, Strength and Temperance seem to be modified
versions of the Marseilles cards of the same name, and the
remainder of the Majors seem to have an Islamic influence. For
example, the Hierophant has been renamed The Prophet and depicts
Muhammad (face hidden by a veil) riding a horse. There is Arabic
writing sprinkled throughout the Majors as well. Strength is
number 11 and The Fool is number 22. The Court Cards are King,
Queen, Knight and Page, and the suits are Wands, Cups, Swords and
Disks, though the cards also use the playing card equivalents on
the right hand border.

The minors present us with an even more diverse mixture of
cultures. Middle Eastern, Far Eastern, Egyptian, Hindu, and
European culture are all represented. The Minors have even more
symbolism than the majors. The Qabalistic Tree of Life
correspondence for each Minor Arcana card is on the top and
bottom of each scene. Kazanlar attributes all the court cards to
En Soph. The Aces are attributed to Kether, twos to Chokmah,
etc.. Kazanlar also provides the negative or
"black"Sephirah at the bottom for reversals. There are
astrological symbols in the left, and the card number, suit and
some other symbol unknown to me on the right. Some of the Minors
depict scenes from mythology, and Kazanlar indicates these in his
booklet. The scenes on the Minors are not based on Waite-Smith.

The little booklet that comes with this deck is rather thick.
Kazanlar explains his background and the deck's premise. He
explains the Qabalistic associations of each card, which is what
he bases his interpretations on. These are not the familiar
Golden Dawn Qabalistic interpretations. He also provides an
upright and reversed meaning for each card, though curiously he
failed to provide interpretations for the High Priestess, The
Empress and the Prophet.. This could be a printing error. He does
explain what these cards represent, but he did not provide the
positive and negative meanings provided for all the other cards.
Although Kazanlar explains his Qabalistic ideas as he goes along,
previous knowledge of the Qabala is probably necessary to
understand what he is talking about. There are a few spreads at
the end of the book, including the "Oracle of the
Seraphim" which Kazanlar claims is the method that was used
by the ancient priests of Israel and which he claims is the
forerunner of the modern Tarot. This spread is fairly complex and
requires math skills as well as reading skills. Other spreads
include the "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh", and the
"Twelve labors of Hercules". The only 'common"
spread provided is the "Astrological "(12 Houses),
which Kazanlar has also embellished to make it his own.

I find this deck quite interesting for several reasons. The
Qabalistic interpretations used by Kazanlar are not the run of
the mill Golden Dawn materials. Kazanlar apparently derived them
based on his own studies. I find that refreshing, even if I do
not agree with some of his conclusions. He also provides an
intriguing, if not always comfortable mix of myths and cultures.
I am also a sucker for gold metallic ink. I would like to see a
separate book published about this deck. Although the little
booklet accompanying the deck provides more information than
most, there is much that is left unexplained. One could spend a
great deal of time studying this deck. I would recommend this
deck for those looking for a fresh approach to the Tarot and
Qabala. While beginners could use this deck, those familiar with
the Qabala would probably appreciate it more. Those enamored of
the Golden Dawn tradition may find this deck bewildering.
Kazanlar goes off in many directions, and his vision is not
always clearly stated. You are left to puzzle through some of his
ideas, correspondences and assignments without assistance.

I do not usually provide excerpts from the little booklets
that come with decks, but I am going to make an exception in this
case to give the reader an idea of what Kazanlar is trying to
accomplish with this deck. See the
Kazanlar Tarot

Kazanlar Tarot

ISBN: 3-905017-97-0

Available from:

US Games Systems

179 Ludlow St.

Stamford CT 06902

(800) 544 - 2637)

Fax (203) 353 - 8431

Excerpt:

The Ecumenical Tarot

The ecumenical attitude allows that
different religions lead equally to God. The tarot is an old
ecumenical tradition which contains the holy symbols of God that
recur in similar forms in all the great religions., since God
permitted his people to worship him in different ways., although
he is the same God for all and everywhere. The Old Testament was
referred to by the Hebrew kabbala, which represents the origins -
of the Tarot, since it gave rise to the mystical letter and
number systems. The New Testament as well, contains the symbols
of the Old. Likewise the Koran contains passages whose headings
consist of one or more letters the meaning of which are certainly
no different from those of the kabbalistic letter system in the
older monotheistic traditions.

I was born in Iran of a father of
mixed Turkish and Persian origin and a Hungarian mother and lived
in the home countries of my parents, who were followers of
different religions. It became clear to me that the God of my
Asian relations was the same as the God of my European relations.
After studying painting, philosophy and general linguistics, I
discovered that the tarot is an applied system of art and
meditation for the purpose of ecumenical improvement.. This then
is my ecumenical tarot which I now pass on to you with
descriptions of the arcana and of a few spreading systems for
stimulating predictions. I wish you good fortune for every
situation in which you use it!

Yours with ecumenical greetings.

Dr. Emil Kazanlar

Six of Wands

In the positive position this card
derives from Tipharet and in the negative position from
Amanalech. In the picture, the smiling Buddha sits on a holy
lotus flower. We see the four earthly elements: the blue water
under the lotus, the brown earth above the water and the horizon,
the red of the sun's rays at sunrise and sunset for the fire of
the radiant star. Around the head and body of the Buddha, the air
is filled with a golden glow. The Buddha's navel chakra or
manipura appears like the microcosmic sun.

Divinatory Character

In the positive position with the
top, uppermost: Victory of the ideal of beauty in the inquirers
life. His will be positively influenced. He can find at this
point the glorious King of Heaven on the Earth. Excellent News
Happy fulfillment of hopes. Victory over an opponent without
strife, through diplomatic means. Surprise and success.

In the negative position with the
bottom uppermost: Late arrival of the expected answer. Fear and
stress through the success of rivals and competitors. Implacable
struggle, whose outcome can not be predicted. It would be better
not to fight whatever the cost.

(The Kazanlar Tarot Deck booklet,
translated from the French, pages 3-4 and 55-56)

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